HSLDA- A German defends removing children

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A German defends removing children Dear  Colleague ,       Michael Farris, HSLDA Founder and Chairman and homeschooling father of 10     I received the following email from Mr. Stefan Schmidt in response to homeschoolers’ outrage at the shocking raid and forcible removal of the Wunderlich children. Please read my comments below and then take action. Reprinted in entirety and unedited: -----Original Message----- From: Stefan Schmidt [personal email address redacted] Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2013 7:31 AM To: info  Subject: Your article: Help the Wunderlichs Get Their Kids Back Dear Mr. Farries, It is absolutely shocking and unacceptable what has happened here. Sorry, but I do NOT mean what happened in Germany, I meant your article. I have never read an amount of arrogant, ignorant and stuff like this. The pamphlet contains an incredible amount of polemic nonsense. It seems it only was written to gain attention for your questionable ambitions. It is absolutely unacceptable that you try to misuse, limit and influence the freedom of independent countries for your disputable goals. Germany is NOT the United States of America. Home Schooling is ILLEGAL by German Law. We do neither want to know nor appreciate your opinion on our laws. It is legal in the US so stay there and fight there. The only thing the Wunderlichs, these so called parents, want is to prevent their children from a free and open minded view on the world. They want to force them into their own little world regardless of what the children want or not and only for religious reasons! From the very beginning theses so called parents drummed their opinions and believes into these poor children. They never had a chance to build up their own opinion. This can be called torture and if for sure harms the children in their development to free, tolerant and open minded members of the society. Only to please the parents and only to spread the parents strange ideas, disgusting. For my opinion these parents should be imprisoned and they should not be released before all of their children have finished school. Anyone, regardless of the reasons who harms his children, in whatever respect, should be removed from them immediately. If it happens for religious reasons the person should be jailed. Kind regards  Stefan Schmidt Unfortunately, this viewpoint represents that of many in Germany. And it is essentially the official position on homeschooling enforced by the government and the courts. It is also, frighteningly, the view of too many people even here in America. In his email, Mr. Schmidt says that homeschooling prevents children from developing into “free, tolerant and open minded members of society.” And that “people who [homeschool] for religious reasons should be jailed.” Tolerant? Open-minded? Free? I don’t think Mr. Schmidt appreciates the irony of his statement. Freedom isn't free! We can't advance freedom around the world, or defend it here at home, without your help! Mr. Schmidt has it backwards. A true liberal and democratic society or government does not kidnap children to enforce state-mandated education. In fact, basic human rights principles make the rights of parents to decide how children are educated more important than the very survival of the state itself (see article 4.2 of the ICCPR). I want the American homeschool community and other friends of liberty to take note—this mindset isn’t limited to Germany. Many U.S. policymakers and academics agree with Mr. Schmidt’s views. They are even working to see them realized here. So far, thankfully, homeschooling isn’t a legitimate reason (anymore) for the government to kidnap your children if they don’t go to state approved schools. How long will that last? When a democratic government like Germany can get away with this kind of human rights abuse—and it is a human rights abuse—without so much as a peep from other free governments, how safe is our liberty? This battle is not just about homeschooling and not just about this family. This battle is about liberty.  This is a battle for the basic, human, and God-given right of every family to decide how they want to live their lives. How they want to teach and to raise their children. What religious or philosophical views they want to believe and act upon. Mr. Schmidts’ narrow-minded and intolerant views are the antithesis of the values/principles on which our republic was founded. Such views are antithetical to the fundamental human rights that every free country should protect—rights that Germany has even obligated itself to protect by signing over a dozen treaties. But Mr. Schmidt and many German officials think the government should enforce its view on its citizens. And they think the government should use force of every kind to see that goal achieved. Tolerant? Open minded? Free?? I don’t think so, do you? My friends, liberty is under attack. Will you answer the call to defend it? Will you stand with me to support this family and liberty? Please call, email, fax, and write the German Embassy and the consulate in your area. It’s time German policymakers are confronted with the truth. Take action now—it will only take a few minutes! Thank you for your concern and care for this precious family. Stay tuned as we continue to work for the  release of these homeschooled children and support the family. HSLDA is helping with the legal efforts to reunite this family. You can join with us to fight for the Wunderlichs with your membership or a donation to the Homeschool Freedom Fund. Standing with you for liberty, Michael Farris

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